Note: This article is about the film only.
Horror as a genre has a history of being heavily queer-coded. In fact, horror is one of those genres that loves us queers a lot. And one of the most popular examples is the vampire! Yes, the lesbian vampire is an age-old trope, dating back to the 30s (Vampyr) or rather the 60s (Blood and Roses). So when I finally sat down to watch Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows, I had been hoping for queer undertones. It was made in 2014, so not exactly a time when queerness couldn’t be explicitly filmed and talked about. That’s a reason why 21
Century horror isn’t always queer-coded. It can be clear about the queerness of characters or can focus on other topics without having to be the go-to safe space for queers. Despite that, it delivered much more than I was hoping for, with heavy coding. There’s no subtext for queerness, so the events in the film can be read as cishet vampire shenanigans, but if you’re queer, you probably won’t do that.
What We Do in the Shadows is the story of four vampire flat-mates and their misadventures over some months. It’s made in a mockumentary format, with the premise that some human documentary filmmakers have been given permission to tail them with mic and camera during those months. Apparently, a major vampire event, the Unholy Masquerade is scheduled to happen soon and this documentary crew is allowed to document the actions of the group of vampires during the months leading up to it. It opens with Viago (Taika Waititi) climbing out of a coffin and checking carefully outside to ensure it’s night and safe for him to be outside. Then we get a little tour of the house as Viago goes around waking up his flat-mates for a house meeting. We’re first introduced to Deacon (Johnny Brugh) who has been sleeping upside down inside a literal closet (coding?). Then we meet Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) who seems to be busy with his own activities inside a lavish room. And finally, we find out that Petyr (Ben Fransham) sleeps inside a concrete slab-covered coffin down in the basement. He has a terrifying appearance and Viago is clearly intimidated, telling him the house meeting isn’t mandatory for him, unlike for Vlad or Deacon.
Each character in What We Do in the Shadows has an intricately designed back-story, narrated with a certain hilarity. Vlad is basically Vlad the Impaler. That’s a classic reference for those who’re unaware because Count Dracula is said to have been based on him. Here, he’s given the name of Vlad the Poker, the story being that Vladislav used to “poke” people as a part of torturing them. Viago moved to New Zealand, which is where the four are living now, in pursuit of a woman. However, due to a mistake on the part of his servant, he reached there rather late, and by then the woman had already fallen in love with and married another man. Deacon used to be a merchant before he was converted into a vampire by Petyr. He’s actually been a vampire for a much lesser time than the other three. As for Petyr, his appearance and silhouette in a particular scene seem to suggest he’s basically a reference to Dracula. His age would certainly insinuate he could be the first ever vampire to walk this earth. Following this group of misfits is a great deal of pleasure, especially if you read it in the queer-coded light.
